# Manicure Help



## tali (Dec 5, 2014)

This is my first post, so pardon me if it isn't quite up to code with how you lovely women usually run your threads. I have a bit of a delima, and I need someone knowledgable about manicures, and weak nails for assistance.

I have always been a nail biter. However, I've stopped within the last few months. I got a taste for longer nails and now I want(almost more than anything, to get my nails done. I've never been girly and I just really want this one thing. I've asked about 3 people to give me money so I can get my nails done for Christmas!

My nails are NOT flakey. However, they are abnormally bendy. While it normally makes no difference it can hurt if they're bent backward suddenly(by me grabbing an object the wrong way). They aren't very easily broken, either. The edges might break on occasion but I can bend the entire nail back without any breakage.

Now, not one for girly things, I'm rather practical. I do understand that getting tips put on would damage my natural nail, and honestly, I don't care. I would be okay with almost always getting a manicure with fake tips(or overlays?) I'm not sure.

So here are my main questions: 1. Can I get a manicure with my weak nails? 2. Would the manicure not hold up as long because my natural nail is so bendy? 3. What sort of manicure should I get? I've heard of acryllics, overlays, tips(idk what this is honestly), and gel/shellac. I have no idea what any of this means.

Sorry for the long post ladies, I just really need to know. Thanks for reading &lt;3


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## Monika1 (Dec 7, 2014)

Hi and welcome! I was also a fairly utilitarian type of gal, with not much in the way of makeup or nails. WAS. I got more into makeup a fair while ago when I realized it made me feel better about myself and it entertained me to play with things that made my skin look better and could dramatically impact my overall look. For ages it was just powder and a few simple things. Then I started to play with more colour.  About three years ago I got interested in playing with some nail polish, and have been enjoying that since. Hubby's not so enthused, but it's for me. More than, we'll say '50', polishes later, I'm into nail art, got an LED light and apply my own gel polish. I'm an amateur enthusiast.

I do have a problem of soft and brittle nails. Since you don't seem to have the brittle nail issue, that is a bonus. Nevertheless, I suspect what works for me might work quite well for you. Before I say anything else though, I have to say: Have you described your observations about your nails to your doctor? Sometimes unusual nail characteristics can be indicative of nutrient deficiencies or other conditions. I'm not trying to freak you out, but it's always good to share observations, even of nail state, with your family doctor. 'Abnormally bendy' is worth mentioning, just in case.  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Even just applying regular base coat, polish, and top coat will reinforce your nails to some extent and will reduce the 'bendiness'; but I would not be surprised if you find regular polish wears off quickly. I don't think having any kind of manicure would be specifically a problem with more flexible nails, but the flex in the nails might reduce the ability for standard lacquer to stay put; as the lacquer may be more rigid than your nail. How it lasts largely depends on your nail chemistry too. Some can wear regular polish for ten days with no chips; others barely get through a few hours. I get chips soon with regular polish (with regular base coat or no) on my bare nails. I'm happy with using gel polish though. This is something that can be applied at home or a salon and requires a UV (LED or compact fluorescent) light for curing. I suggest you try that because the gel polish adheres well (when competently applied), confers more rigidity to the nail but does also have some give. An application can last 10 days or longer. I might remove and re-apply solely because the growing nail is showing. Gel polish is great for me because it gives my nails more strength and generally prevents the breakage that otherwise occurs. It gives a very smooth and glossy, strong, but a bit flexible, and reasonably thin look. I can apply gel polish and it often lasts for three or more weeks. Also, when I get bored of the colour or want to play, I can apply regular polish right on top. If I remove it with non-acetone remover, the gel polish base will remain intact, so I can either again wear the gel polish colour alone, or can apply a different polish. Regular polish lasts on my nails much better with the gel polish as a base than it does on my bare nails. I'll usually apply gel polish base coat, 2/3 coats of a gel colour polish, and a gel polish top coat. Sometimes I'll skip the colour in between; of course this approach (due to fewer coats) gives my nails less reinforcement. As I mentioned, I remove and apply gel nail polish myself.

I don't have experience with the variety of enhancement options out there simply because I've been happy with the gel polish approach and haven't tried other options! Some don't appeal to me due to what I've read, or just because (e.g. acrylics); others I'm curious to try sometime. I hope others can tell you more about them. If you want more rigidity, I would suggest gel nails based solely on what I've heard of others' experience. @@KeepOnSingin regularly uses gel nails to give her nails strength and they look great. Gel nails are a bit more permanent because they're acetone-resistant too (so you can also apply and remove regular polish, but can use acetone remover), there is the option to have extensions beyond your natural nail length, and they are more rigid than gel polished nails. If you go to the salon for a follow-up visit, well-applied gel nails can be 'filled-in', meaning that the newly growing nail can be coated with the product and reinforced without needing to remove the previously applied part.

Tips and their use are better described on many sites than I will be able to do. A simple web search for individual words with 'nail' and some reading on tips, forms, acrylic, full-cover nails, enhancements, silks, and wraps will give you a more accurate understanding than I could give. I'll avoid being inaccurate about all of that.

I think it's worth reading further about the options, and then just giving something a try. You'll find out what you like only by trying. I don't know if I'd like acrylics, given I haven't tried them, but they are rigid. If a really inflexible nail is your goal, they could be your answer. Anyway, I suspect there are very many excellent blog posts with accurate definitions of nail/manicure terms, techniques, and materials. You might want to check a few of those out. There are professionals in this field who will do an excellent job of answering your questions in already written posts. Good luck with a new potential interest!


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## NotTheMama (Dec 7, 2014)

I used to get gel nails done in a salon and here are a few observations from my personal experience.

1. They do remove some of your natural nail by filing the whole surface of the nail. This is a big deal if you only wish to experiment to see what you may like because if you decide you don't like the gel nails and have them removed, it leaves your natural nail very weak and thin. It then takes a long time to grow them out, as they typically file all the way from tip to cuticle. I had gel nails put on in March for my wedding and it took several months for them to grow out. Also, removing gel nails from a salon can be a bit tricky and painful. You could soak them in pure acetone, but that takes a while and is very messy and will dry your fingers out something fierce. You can go to the salon to have them removed, but it's no picnic. They will clip the ends and use a fake nail to literally peel the gel part off of your natural nail, which hurts!! That removes even more of your natural nail and leaves them sore and weak. You could let them grow out and they will eventually loosen on their own and you can remove them with minimal peeling, but they look messy until they grow out enough for that.

2. Gel nails from a salon take a bit of upkeep and it can get quite expensive. Most salons will say you need a "fill" every 2 weeks. You go back and they will file the gel down, file any new nail growth down, then apply more gel and repaint your nails. I never went every 2 weeks but stretched it out to every 3-4 weeks because it's like $25-$35 a pop plus tip depending on where you go. I never repainted my gel nails when I had them from the salon, I just left whatever design I had done until the next time I went in for a fill.

3. What you may not realize is that gel nails are thick, I mean THICK. They put this goopy powder/gel mixture on your nails then cure them under a UV light to harden it. Whatever thickness they glob on is usually how thick your nails will be when they're done. It can take a bit to get used to. They can put tips on to lengthen your nails, as well, under the gel. If you keep them, eventually they will file the tips away as your nails grow out and it will just be your nails under the gel.

If I were you, I would just go in for a basic manicure, it's cheap (around $10-$12 plus tip depending on where you go) and it will give you a feel for the process and you can see how well your nails hold up with that. They will clean up your cuticles, file &amp; shape your nails, then paint them. Usually my nails will hold up at least a week with a salon mani and I am not careful. The layers of polish will give some strength to your bendy nails while looking nice. Like I said, I used to get gel nails and I decided it wasn't worth the time or cost anymore and now I just do my nails at home and get a salon mani/pedi when I feel like a little pampering.


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## Damian# (Dec 8, 2014)

you can look for a professional manicurist


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## KeepOnSingin (Dec 8, 2014)

I'm all about the gel as @@Monika1 has said.

I have used tips (plastic tips glued on) with both acrylic and gel (I will never go back to acrylic btw), extensions, and overlays.

Currently I have mostly overlays (where they literally just put the gel over your natural nail) and 2 extensions on nails that broke. Gels are expensive, I pay $35/visit -- every 2-3 weeks, but IMO, completely worth it. At least for me, they have helped me grow my nails out longer and stronger, and they give me so much versatility. I often paint them at home myself after I get bored with whatever color I chose at the salon, and also sometimes leave them with no polish because even alone they look great!

Here are a few pics of my nails:

















I have been wearing gels for about the last 2-3 months, mostly because they always look good and are easy, don't break easily (and if/when they do, the salon I go to will gladly fix them for free, but I've only had to do that twice), and don't scratch my kids at work (I work at a daycare, in an infant room).

If you have any more questions about gel, feel free to ask!!


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## Katence (Dec 18, 2014)

I found this page that has awesome manicure tips. It includes both nail care and nail art, all explained step by step. I love it  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

https://www.facebook.com/incnailart


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## Carla Keegan (Dec 19, 2014)

I love the whole going to get pampered! I can't paint my nails as my hand is so shaky!!!


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